Bag reject system



Dec. 2, 1969 w. E. WAY 3,481,465

BAG REJECT SYSTEM Filed Nov. 10, 1966 T From Pucker FIG 3 7 H5 V. AC 32 44 I6 Motor e cg' I INVENTOR J 4 William E. Way

Solenoid BY 54 v ATTORNEY United States Patent ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE A system for discharging from'a conveyor system an off-specification item such as a bag of carbon black or the like, including a roller conveyor running from the packing and weighing'station to a" remotely located closing and sealing station, a fluid actuated piston-type brake located below a roller conveyor adjacent the point where a bag' is discharged to the sealing operation, which piston is actuated by closing a switch and stops the rollers at the specified point in order to reject an ctr-specification bag, the bag when stopped operate a switch which, in turn, actuates a reject arm which moves perpendicular to the conveyor, pushes the 'bag off the side of the conveyor and. onto a reject conveyor and, at the same time, operates a second switch which deactivates both the brake and the reject mechanism to return the conveyor system to its normal operation. A conveyor operating perpendicular to the main conveyor transports the rejected bag to a collection position.

The present invention relates to a package reject system. A more specific aspect of the present invention relates to is a system for rejecting off-weight packages on a production line.

In numerous production-line operations, bags, boxes or the like are packed with a loose or pelleted material and certain weight standards must be met by the packed container. This is particularly true for carbon black which n packed into bags by either automatically or manually operated bag-filling means. Under the best of operating conditions, it is usually expected that 3 to 5% of the packed bags will be slightly out of weight tolerances. For example, weight tolerances on 25 kilogram bags of carbon black will normally be plus or minus 100 grams. Accordingly, the weight of these elf-weight, bags should be corrected.

. There are numerous approaches to the rejection or correction of off-weight bags in a production installation.

One, of course, incorporates a completely automatic system where an automatic scale and rejector weighs the bags as they come from an automatic bag-filling machine and the scale mechanism actuates an electrical system which then automatically diverts or removes from the production line or adjusts the weight of any bag which is over or underweight. However, installations of this character are extremely expensive, particularly, the scale itself. Such completely automatic mechanisms are not necessary in many operations. The other generic system is the completely manual operation where a conventional check scale receives each bag as it comes from the packer and the operator of the packing machine visually observes whether the bag is or is not within weight specifications. However, once it has been observed that a bag is ofi-weight, the operator must correct the situation either by removing the bag from the scale and hence the production line, or by adding to or subtracting from the material in the bag. Either of these measures slows down the packing operation so that the normal tendency of the operator is to ignore those bags which are oif weight.

3,481 ,465 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 "ice It is therefore highly desirable to provide a simple and inexpensive system which can be readily installed and yet does not involve an excess amount of operators time nor expensive equipment.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved container reject system. Another and further object of the present invention is to provide an improved semi-automatic container reject system. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved container reject system for rejecting oif-weight containers. Another and still furtherobject of the present invention is to provide semi-automatic container re-' invention are apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the system of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the system of the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical system of the system of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, these drawings schematically show the major components of the present invention. Obviously, structural details can be worked out by one skilled in the art and therefore, such detail has been eliminated in the interest of clarity. In FIGURE 1, the packed bag is discharged from the packer (not shown) onto roller conveyor section 10 of scale unit 12. From conveyor section 10, the bag passes to an inclined roller conveyor 14. Mounted adjacent the feed end of roller conveyor 14 is a reject switch 1'6. Roller conveyor 14 has mounted adjacent its discharge end limit switch 18 and limit switch 20. Also mounted adjacent the discharge end of roller conveyor 14 is container tipper 22, operated by an appropriate air cylinder 24. Mounted below roller conveyor 14 and in essentially the same position as bag tipper 22, is brake 26 operated by air cylinder 28. Container tipper cylinder 24 is a double-acting device which is adapted to extend container tipper 22 across roller conveyor 14 and ultimately into contact with the arm of limit switch 20. Brake cylinder 28 is preferably a singleacting cylinder with a spring return and, when actuated, it serves to press brake 26 against the bottom of the rollers of roller conveyor 14 and thus stop the motion of the container. Just prior to the time the conttiner reaches this point along roller conveyor 14, it comes in contact with the arm of limit switch 18. When a. bag or container has been rejected and pushed from roller conveyor 14 by container tipper 20, it is pushed over onto conveyor belt 30 which is driven by motor 32. At the discharge end of conveyor belt 30, is inclined roller conveyor 34 which discharges the rejected container to an appropriate accumulator where its contents are recovered. To the extent that a container is of the proper weight, roller conveyor 14 will discharge the container to belt conveyor 36 driven by a motor 38. From conveyor 36, the container is then moved onto belt conveyor 40 driven by motor 42 by an appropriate transfer mechanism (not shown). From conveyor 40 the bag passes down the production line where it is appropriately closed and sealed.

Referring now to FIGURE 3 of the drawings, this figure shows a schematic of the control system. In FIGURE 3, the system is supplied with volts AC current from a suitable source (not shown). It is to be seen from FIG- URE 3 that reject switch 16 is in series with conveyor motor 32 and solenoid valve 44. Solenoid valve 44 is preferably a three-way valve and actuates cylinder 28 of brake 26. Reject switch 16 is normally open and is in parallel with normally closed limit switch 20, which is actuated by container tipper 22. Also in parallel with switch 16 and in series with switch 20 is switch 46. Switch 46 is operated by and for-ms a part of a relay, whose coil 48 is in parallel with solenoid valve 44 and motor'32. In parallel with coil 48 is normally open limit switch 18, which is operated by a bag passing down the conveyor 14. Also in parallel with coil 48 and in series with switch 18 is a coil 50 of a relay which forms a part of and simultaneously operates switches 52 and 54, respectively. Switch 52 is a normally open switch which is in parallel with switch 18. In parallel with switch 18 and coil 50, is switch 54 and solenoid valve 56. Solenoid valve 56 is preferably a four-way valve and operates cylinder 24 of container tipper 22.

In the operation of the device of the present invention, the container from the packer passes onto conveyor section 10 where it is weighed by scale 12. If the bag is offweight as observed by an operator, the operator pushes reject switch 16. Reject switch 16 makes momentary contact thereby energizing valve 28 and, hence, brake 26. The brake 26, in turn, stops the movement of the rollers at the discharge end of roller conveyor 14. Power is also supplied to motor 32 which starts conveyor 30 to discharge the bag from the main production line. Motor 32 need not necessarily be in the reject system and, therefore, may be operated continuously if desired. At the same time, that solenoid valve 44 and motor 32 are operated, coil 48 is momentarily energized which, in turn, closes switch 46. The switch 46 thus continues the flow of power to the three components mentioned, even though reject switch 16 has been permitted to open and return to its inactive position. Just before the bag to be rejected reaches the point on conveyor 14 where the dead rollers stop it, it contacts the operating arm of limit switch 18 thereby closing switch 18 and energizing coil 50. The coil 50 then, simultaneously, closes switch 52 and switch 54. The closing of switch 52, in turn, maintains current through coil 50 after switch 18 has returned to its open position. In addition, the closing of switch 54 by coil 50 energizes solenoid valve 56. Solenoid valve 56 actuates the cylinder 24 of bag tipper 22 thereby extending bag tipper 22 across conveyor 14. As the bag is shoved across conveyor 14 and onto conveyor 30, the bag tipper 22 contacts the arm of limit switch 20. Limit switch 20 therefore is opened which, in turn, cuts the power oif in the entire circuit, thereby returning the reject system to its original de-energized condition.

While specific elements of equipment and specific de- I vices have been shown and described for purposes of ilcontainer just prior to the point at which the movement of said container is stopped by the non-operating portion of the conveyor; discharge means operatively associated with said conveyor adjacent said predetermined point and ac tuated by said first switch means to remove said container from said'conveyor; and second switch means ac. tuated by the movement of said discharge means and adapted to return the brake means and discharge means to their inactive condition; t

2. A system in accordance with claim :1 which additionally includes manually operable switchmeans adapted to set the system, including the brake means,-'xthe first switch means, the discharge means, andthe second switch means in their operable condition.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2 which additionally includes a weighing means adjacent the feed end of the conveyor and the manually operable switch means is located adjacent said weighing means.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the conveyor is a roller-type conveyor.- 1 5. A system in accordance with claim 4 wherein'the brake means is located beneath the conveyor and is adapted to frictionally engage a predetermined number of.

the rollers of said conveyor and prevent them from rollmg. v

6. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the brake means is located beneath the conveyor andis adapted to frictionally engage said conveyor.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the brake means is hydraulically operated.

8. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the discharge means is adapted to move across the conveyor and push the container OK the side of the conveyor.

9. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the discharge means is hydraulically operated.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1 which additionally includes a discharge conveyor adjacent the pre determined point along the main conveyor and adapted to transport the discharged container away from said main conveyor.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein the discharge conveyor is a power-operated conveyor.

12. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein the discharge conveyor transports the discharged container to a collection point.

13. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the system additionally includes a weighing means adjacent the feed end of the conveyor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS M. HENSON woon, -JR.,.Primary Examiner R. 'SCI-IACHER, Assistant Examiner 

